THE ACORN PRESS was founded in 1994 by editor, poet, and publisher Laurie Brinklow, as the fulfillment of her long-standing dream to have her own publishing company. The Acorn Press is based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Prince Edward Island, though Canada’s smallest province, has produced some of Canada’s most important literature, including the novels of L. M. Montgomery (including the children’s classic Anne of Green Gables) and the poetry of Canada’s People’s Poet, Milton Acorn. Works published by the Acorn Press continue the PEI tradition of literature with local interest and global appeal. The Acorn Press takes as its particular goal and mandate to help encourage the flourishing literary culture of Prince Edward Island by publishing “Books about Prince Edward Island by Prince Edward Islanders.” The Acorn Press combines high editorial standards with excellent local design and printing to craft fine books of poetry, fiction, history, folklore, and literature for children.

A GROWING REPUTATION

The Acorn Press has a growing reputation for books of cultural and literary significance to Prince Edward Island, with several prize-winning titles.

Shades of Green by poet Brent MacLaine won the 12th Annual Atlantic Poetry Prize.
Beautiful Veins by the late poet Joseph Sherman, won the 2008 PEI Book Award for Poetry; Shape of Things to Come by fiction-writer Richard Lemm won the 2008 PEI Book Award for Fiction; and the French translation of Acadian Mi-Careme: Masks and Merrymaking, won the 2008 PEI Book Award for Non-Fiction.
The True Meaning of Crumbfest (text by David Weale with illustrations by Dale McNevin), won the Ann Connor Brimer award for children’s literature in 2000 and Everything That Shines (also by Weale and McNevin) was shortlisted for this award in 2002.
The Brow of Dawn: One Woman’s Journey with MS, by Catherine Edward, received the first PEI Book Award, in 2006. Another, Last Tomato, was a finalist for this award.
The Brow of Dawn and the novel, The Betrayer, by Michael Hennessey, have been finalists for the Best Atlantic-Published Book Award. Fireflies in the Magnolia Grove, poetry by John Smith, was shortlisted for the Atlantic Poetry Prize.
Two of Prince Edward Island’s poets laureate have been Acorn authors: John Smith, PEI’s first laureate, published Fireflies in the Magnolia Grove with Acorn. Frank Ledwell, PEI’s second laureate, published four titles with Acorn: Dip & Veer, The North Shore of Home, Island Sketchbook, and The Taste of Water.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The Acorn Press acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities.